The cock, the mouse, and the little red hen — Themes and Context

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AND THE LITTLE RED HEN

_The_ COCK, _The_ MOUSE _and the_ LITTLE RED HEN

An Old Tale Retold _by_ FÉLICITÉ LEFÈVRE

With 24 Illustrations _by_ TONY SARG

MACRAE · SMITH · COMPANY Philadelphia

To My Nieces CECILIA GARRY and NELLY MELVILLE and to my little friend HARFORD LURY this book is dedicated with my love

4511 Nineteenth Printing _Manufactured in the United States of America_

AND THE LITTLE RED HEN

Once upon a time there was a hill, and on the hill there was a pretty little house.

It had one little green door, and four little windows with green shutters, and in it there lived

On another hill close by there was another little house. It was very ugly.

It had a door that wouldn't shut,

and two broken windows, and all the paint was off the shutters

And in this house there lived

A BOLD BAD FOX and FOUR BAD LITTLE FOXES

One morning these four bad little foxes

came to the big bad Fox and said:

"Oh, Father, we're so hungry!"

"We had nothing to eat yesterday," said one.

"And scarcely anything the day before," said another.

"And only half a chicken the day before that," said the third.

"And only two little ducks the day before that," said the fourth.

The big bad Fox shook his head for a long time, for he was thinking.

At last he said in a big gruff voice:

"On that hill over there I see a house. And in that house there lives a Cock."

"And a Mouse," screamed two of the little foxes.

"And a little Red Hen," screamed the other two.

"And they are nice and fat," went on the big bad Fox. "This very day, I'll take my great sack, and I will go up that hill, and in at that door, and into my sack I will put the Cock, and the Mouse, and the little Red Hen."

"I'll make a fire to roast the Cock," said one little fox.

"I'll put on the saucepan to boil the Hen," said the second.

"And I'll get the frying pan to fry the Mouse," said the third.

"And I'll have the biggest helping when they are all cooked," said the fourth, who was the greediest of all.

So the four little foxes jumped for joy, and the big bad Fox went to get his sack ready to start upon his journey.

But what was happening to the Cock and the Mouse, and the little Red Hen, all this time?

Well, sad to say, the Cock and the Mouse had both got out of bed on the wrong side that morning.

The Cock said the day was too hot, and the Mouse grumbled because it was too cold.

They came grumbling down to the kitchen, where the good little Red Hen, looking as bright as a sunbeam, was bustling about.

"Who'll get some sticks to light the fire with?" she asked.

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen.

So off she ran to get the sticks.

"And now, who'll fill the kettle from the spring?" she asked.

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen. And off she ran to fill the kettle.

"And who'll get the breakfast ready?" she asked, as she put the kettle on to boil.

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen.

All breakfast time the Cock and the Mouse quarrelled and grumbled. The Cock upset the milk jug, and the Mouse scattered crumbs upon the floor

"Who'll clear away the breakfast?" asked the poor little Red Hen, hoping

they would soon leave off being cross.

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen.

So she cleared everything away, swept up the crumbs, and brushed up the fireplace.

"And now, who'll help me to make the beds?"

"_I_ shan't," said the Cock.

"_I_ shan't," said the Mouse.

"Then I'll do it myself," said the little Red Hen.

And she tripped away upstairs.